Victorians want more smokefree venues

Victorians are sending a strong message to the operators of public venues that they want more smokefree places, according to the results of a study released today.

The study, Environmental tobacco smoke: Public opinions and behaviour in 1998-99, published in the Quit Evaluation Studies Volume 10 released today, found that 51% of Victorians surveyed try to avoid smokey venues.

And it's venues like bars, nightclubs and pubs that are missing out on patronage. The survey found the places most commonly avoided because they were too smokey are bars, nightclubs and pubs, with restaurants and cafes the second most common places avoided.

The study, by the Anti-Cancer Council's Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, has also revealed:

79% of Victorians want smoking either banned or restricted in gambling areas;

More than two thirds of those surveyed were bothered by exposure to tobacco smoke, with the most common areas for exposure being hospitality venues such as bars, nightclubs, pubs, cafes and restaurants.

Quit Executive Director Todd Harper says these findings are a wake up call to the hospitality industry.

'Venues that are not smokefree are not catering to the demands of the public and leave themselves open to the threat of litigation by employees or customers,' Mr Harper said.

'Support for smoking bans in bars, nightclubs and pubs will increase when bans in restaurants come into effect, and people become accustomed to enjoying smokefree environments,' he said.